The Run Down August 2, 2007
Aug 2nd, 2007 | By art rogers | Category: The Run DownCanada reconsiders ban on polygamy, Mel Gibson funds his church with another $8 million, Indiana man arrested for battery over exorcism, Church and toilet company part ways over ad with naked posteriors, and cussing Catholic priest is pushed out over YouTube video
Canada urged to review legality of polygamy ban Members of the Mormon breakaway group, Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints were forcing minor girls to marry older men as part of their practice of polygamy. Prosecutors had been afraid to press charges against the practitioners for fear that the law would be struck down as unconstitutional.
2 questions. 1. What kind of constitution fails to protect women, much less women who are really children and is it worth having? and, similar to the first question, 2. What good is a law that gets struck down if you try to enforce it?
Mel Gibson sinks $8 Million more into controversial church Mel Gibson is a breakaway churchman himself. He built a church in California that is “Holy Family Catholic Church” – a breakaway of the Roman Catholic Church, which does not recognize Gibson’s brand. Not a bad idea, though since Gibson, his father and most of the parishioners are holocaust deniers. After his drunken anti-semitic rant, that may not come as a surprise to many. His father has been noted donating to several Neo-Nazi organizations. Anyone want to join up?
Orange Co. man arrested for battery during exorcism A 22 year old former high school star athlete, valedictorian and ministerial student physically abused an autistic child in an effort to exorcise demons. The mother initially allowed the attempt, but was then intimidated into staying in the room when she later wanted to stop and call the police. Silver lining: The pastor of all the parties was the one who called the police. Here is a pastor who realized that something criminal had happened and did not try to save the church’s reputation by hiding the wrong doing. In my opinion, he increased his church’s reputation. What do you think?
Times Square Church Ends Fight Over Bare Bottoms Billboard *Snicker* Apparently the high rent ad space on the church was a temptation, but when backsides were on the agenda, desire for the lucrative ad buy was countered by concern over nudity. How is this a dilemma? Why are you using your church building for ad space? Truth is, our church has quite a bit of land on I-44 and I have had to ward off several folks who have wanted to lease out some of our land – right next to our building – to billboard advertisers as a source of income to the church. My immediate reaction was that it would be a cold day in… Tijuana… before I would open the door to having inappropriate messages being displayed for 50k cars per day on our church property. I don’t care what the money is, once the door is open, it puts you in a tight bind if you have to say, “No,” as this church found out.
YouTube Video Pushes Catholic Priest Out of Church Last Saturday, I linked to the story about a Catholic Monsignor who was taunted mercilessly by some skaters and finally lost his cool. In his anger, he failed to “sin not” and let fly a stream of profanity and racist remarks. It appears that his inability to retain his cool has come with some consequences, despite the early support of some of those surrounding him. As I said before, I have lost my cool on numerous occasions around teenagers. I have never used profanity or racist remarks, but I can say, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” What about you? You ever lose your cool at church?
![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}
Art,
You asked “You ever lose your cool at church?” Unfortunately, yes I have, however, never using profanity or hitting anyone.
Once was with a young man when I was a Youth Pastor. He was disrupting a bible study so I took him out and dressed him down pretty good. I told his mother that night what had happened and why I was so harsh toward him. She understood and had no problem with it. The young man never spoke to me again.
Another time one of my deacons was spouting his man-centered drivel and trying to tell me what he wanted me to preach. Let me just say that I was not very nice toward him that day.
One last time was in a business meeting. I won’t go into the specifics but several people accused me of lying about a matter. I am not a liar. I will not knowingly lie to anyone about anything. Honesty and integrity are “hot button” issues for me.
In each of these instances, I regretted losing my cool, confessed my sin and repented to God, and apologized to the persons involved.
Now I try very hard to maintain my composure in contentious circumstances, but I admit it is still a struggle.
Les
Les,
Only 3 times in so many years? You are a pristine servant, worthy of much.
I have lost my cool on numerous occasions when I should have kept it. No doubt. Something that you said, however, triggered another thought. It is not sinful to be angry. The Bible says to be angry and sin not, as I referenced in the above story.
There have been several times when I have been angry at church and let my emotions show, but I wouldn’t call them sin. I did not humiliate the other person(s). I did not attack them, nor was I unfair. I think the passionate defense of my integrity is not a sinful thing, and I don’t regret ever doing such. In fact, it has gone a long way to helping me establish leadership with integrity. Bullies exist in churches, but when I stood up to the bullies in my ministry – showing my emotions, but not sinning – I have gained credibility and they have been corrected. Whenever I have knuckled under so as “not to cause a scene,” it only served to embolden them to greater sin and me and my family to leave to avoid the pain. It was unhealthy and not biblical. The latter scenarios informed the former and brought me to where I am now – unafraid to show my emotions while trying to be careful of my motives and actions while feeling those emotions.
The truth is, we all are feeling those emotions, whether or not they show. It is not sinful to have them, it is not sinful to show them, it can be sinful to let them reign.
On the other hand, I have gone too far, as I already said. That’s a different story.
Thanks for the jumping off point – and for the honesty.
How on earth can Gibson deny that the nazi monsters murdered millions? All the evidence, the photos, the GI’s stories …. I guess Mel disregarded that part of the military he usually champions. I knew he was Holywood, but I hadn’t realized he was such a sucker. To paraphrase another movie moment, drunkard is as drunkard does.
Steve,
I don’t think that he is getting this from Hollywood. Most of Hollywood, as strange as they are, thinks Mel is a little off, so that should tell you something.
This is a family thing.